version
0.9.22
Frequently Asked Questions

Drawing-related

Fonts I added to Tux Paint only show squares

The TrueType Font you're using might have the wrong encoding.
If it's 'custom' encoded, for example, you can try running it through
FontForge
(http://fontforge.sourceforge.net/) to convert it to an
ISO-8859 format. (Email us if you need help with special fonts.)

The Rubber Stamp tool is greyed out!

This means that Tux Paint either couldn't find any stamp images,
or was asked not to load them.

If you installed Tux Paint, but did not install the separate,
optional "Stamps" collection, quit Tux Paint and install it now.
It should be available from the same place you got the main
Tux Paint program. (Note: As of version 0.9.14, Tux Paint
comes with a small collection of example stamps.)

If you don't want to install the default collection of stamps,
you can just create your own. See the EXTENDING
TUX PAINT documentation for more on creating PNG and SVG image files,
TXT text description files, Ogg Vorbis, MP3 or WAV sound files,
and DAT text data files that make up stamps.

Finally, if you installed stamps, and think they should be loading,
check to see that the "nostamps" option isn't being set.
(Either via a "--nostamps" option to Tux Paint's
command line, or "nostamps=yes" in the configuration file.)

If so, either change/remove the "nostamps" option, or you can
override it with "--stamps" on the command line or
"nostamps=no" or "stamps=yes" in a
configuration file.

The Magic "Fill" Tool Looks Bad

Tux Paint is probably comparing exact pixel colors when filling.
This is faster, but looks worse. Run the command
"tuxpaint --version" from a command line, and you should
see, amongst the other output:
"Low Quality Flood Fill enabled".

To change this, you must rebuild Tux Paint from source.
Be sure to remove or comment out any line that says:

#define LOW_QUALITY_FLOOD_FILL

in the "tuxpaint.c" file in the "src" directory.

Stamp outlines are always rectangles

Tux Paint was built with low-quality (but faster) stamp outlines.

Rebuild Tux Paint from source. Be sure to remove or comment out any
line that says:

#define LOW_QUALITY_STAMP_OUTLINE

in the "tuxpaint.c" file in the "src" directory.

Interface Problems

Stamp thumbnails in the Stamp Selector look bad

Tux Paint was probably compiled with the faster, lower quality
thumbnail code enabled. Run the command:
"tuxpaint --version" from
a command line. If, amongst the other output, you see the text:
"Low Quality Thumbnails enabled", then this is what's happening.

Rebuild Tux Paint from source. Be sure to remove or comment out any
line that says:

Tux Paint was probably compiled with the nice looking color
selector buttons disabled. Run the command:
"tuxpaint --version" from
a command line. If, amongst the other output, you see the text:
"Low Quality Color Selector enabled", then this is what's happening.

Rebuild Tux Paint from source. Be sure to remove or comment out any
line that says:

#define LOW_QUALITY_COLOR_SELECTOR

in the "tuxpaint.c" file in the "src" directory.

All of the text is in uppercase!

The "uppercase" option is on.

If you're running Tux Paint from a command-line, make sure you're
not giving it an "--uppercase" option.

If you're running Tux Paint by double-clicking an icon, check the
properties of the icon to see if "--uppercase" is listed as a
command-line argument.

If "--uppercase" isn't being sent on the command line, check
Tux Paint's configuration file ("~/.tuxpaintrc" under Linux and Unix,
"tuxpaint.cfg" under Windows) for a line reading:
"uppercase=yes".

Either remove that line, or simply run Tux Paint with the
command-line argument: "--mixedcase", which will override
the uppercase setting.

Or use Tux Paint Config. and make sure
"Show Uppercase Text Only" (under "Languages") is not checked.

Printing

Tux Paint prints by creating a PostScript rendition of the picture
and sending it to an external command. By default, this command is
the "lpr" printing tool.

If that program is not available (for example, you're using CUPS,
the Common Unix Printing System, and do not have "cups-lpr" installed),
you will need to specify an appropriate command using the
"printcommand" option in Tux Paint's configuration file.
(See the OPTIONS documentation.)

Note: Versions of Tux Paint prior to 0.9.15 used a different
default command for printing, "pngtopnm | pnmtops | lpr",
as Tux Paint output PNG format, rather than PostScript.

If you had changed your "printcommand" option prior to Tux Paint
0.9.15, you will need to go back and alter it to accept PostScript.

I get the message "You can't print yet!" when I go to print!

The "print delay" option is on. You can only print once every
X seconds.

If you're running Tux Paint from a command-line, make sure you're
not giving it a "--printdelay=..." option.

If you're running Tux Paint by double-clicking an icon, check the
properties of the icon to see if "--printdelay=..." is listed as
a command-line argument.

If a "--printdelay=..." option isn't being sent on the
command line,
check Tux Paint's configuration file ("~/.tuxpaintrc" under Linux and
Unix, "tuxpaint.cfg" under Windows) for a line reading:
"printdelay=...".

Either remove that line, set the delay value to 0 (no delay), or
decrease the delay to a value you prefer. (See the
OPTIONS documentation).

Or, you can simply run Tux Paint with the command-line argument:
"--printdelay=0", which will override the configuration
file's setting, and allow unlimited printing. (You won't have to wait
between prints.)

Or use Tux Paint Config. and make sure
"Print Delay" (under "Printing") is set to "0 seconds."

I simply can't print! The button is greyed out!

The "no print" option is on.

If you're running Tux Paint from a command-line, make sure you're
not giving it a "--noprint" option.

If you're running Tux Paint by double-clicking an icon, check the
properties of the icon to see if "--noprint" is listed as an
argument.

If "--noprint" isn't on the command-line, check
Tux Paint's
configuration file ("~/.tuxpaintrc" under Linux and Unix, "tuxpaint.cfg"
under Windows) for a line reading: "noprint=yes".

Either remove that line, or simply run Tux Paint with the
command-line argument: "--print", which will override the
configuration file's setting.

Or use Tux Paint Config. and make sure
"Allow Printing" (under "Printing") is checked.

Saving

Where are my pictures?

Unless you asked Tux Paint to save into a specific location
(using the 'savedir' option), Tux Paint saves into a standard
location on your local drive:

In the user's $HOME directory, under a ".tuxpaint"
subfolder:
e.g., /home/username/.tuxpaint/saved/

The images are stored as PNG bitmaps, which most modern programs
should be able to load (image editors, word processors, web browsers,
etc.)

Tux Paint always saves over my old picture!

The "save over" option is enabled. (This disables the prompt
that would appear when you click 'Save.')

If you're running Tux Paint from a command-line, make sure you're
not giving it a "--saveover" option.

If you're running Tux Paint by double-clicking an icon, check the
properties of the icon to see if "--saveover" is listed as an
argument.

If "--saveover" isn't on the command-line, check
Tux Paint's
configuration file ("~/.tuxpaintrc" under Linux and Unix, "tuxpaint.cfg"
under Windows) for a line reading: "saveover=yes".

Either remove that line, or simply run Tux Paint with the
command-line argument: "--saveoverask", which will override the
configuration file's setting.

Or use Tux Paint Config. and make sure
"Ask Before Overwriting" (under "Saving") is checked.

Also, see "Tux Paint always saves a new picture!", below.

Tux Paint always saves a new picture!

The "never save over" option is enabled. (This disables the prompt
that would appear when you click 'Save.')

If you're running Tux Paint from a command-line, make sure you're
not giving it a "--saveovernew" option.

If you're running Tux Paint by double-clicking an icon, check the
properties of the icon to see if "--saveovernew" is listed as an
argument.

If "--saveovernew" isn't on the command-line, check
Tux Paint's
configuration file ("~/.tuxpaintrc" under Linux and Unix, "tuxpaint.cfg"
under Windows) for a line reading: "saveover=new".

Either remove that line, or simply run Tux Paint with the
command-line argument: "--saveoverask", which will override the
configuration file's setting.

Or use Tux Paint Config. and make sure
"Ask Before Overwriting" (under "Saving") is checked.

Also, see "Tux Paint always saves over my old picture!", above.

Audio Problems

There's no sound!

First, check the obvious:

Are your speakers connected and turned on?

Is the volume turned up on your speakers?

Is the volume turned up in your Operating System's "mixer?"

Are you certain you're using a computer with a sound card?

Are any other programs running that use sound? (They may be
'blocking' Tux Paint from accessing your sound device)

(Unix/Linux) Are you using a sound system, such as aRts, ESD or
GStreamer? If so, try setting the "SDL_AUDIODRIVER" environment variable
before running Tux Paint (e.g.,
"export SDL_AUDIODRIVER=arts").
Or, run Tux Paint through the system's rerouter (e.g.,
run "artsdsp tuxpaint" or
"esddsp tuxpaint", instead of
simply "tuxpaint").

Is sound disabled in Tux Paint?

If sound seems to work otherwise (and you're sure no other program is
"blocking" the sound device), then Tux Paint may be running with
a "no sound" option.

Make sure you're not running Tux Paint with the
"--nosound" option as a command-line argument.
(See the OPTIONS documentation for details.)

If it's not, then check the configuration file
("/etc/tuxpaint/tuxpaint.conf" and "~/.tuxpaintrc" under Linux and
Unix, and "tuxpaint.cfg" under Windows) for a line reading:
"nosound=yes".

Either remove that line, or simply run Tux Paint with the
command-line argument: "--sound", which will override
the configuration file's setting.

Alternatively, you can use Tux Paint Config. to change
the configuration file. Make sure "Enable Sound Effects" (under
"Video & Sound") is checked, then click "Apply".

Were sounds temporarily disabled?

Even if sounds are enabled in Tux Paint, it is possible to
disable and re-enable them temporarily using the
[Alt] + [S] key sequence. Try pressing those
keys to see if sounds begin working again.

Was Tux Paint built without sound support?

Tux Paint may have been compiled with sound support disabled.
To test whether sound support was enabled when Tux Paint was
compiled, run Tux Paint from a command line, like so:

tuxpaint --version

If, amongst the other information, you see "Sound disabled", then the
version of Tux Paint you're running has sound disabled. Recompile
Tux Paint, and be sure NOT to build the "nosound" target.
(i.e., don't run "make nosound") Be sure the SDL_mixer
library and its development headers are available!

Tux Paint makes too much noise! Can I turn them off?

Yes, there are a number of ways to disable sounds in Tux Paint:

Press [Alt] + [S] while in Tux Paint to
temporarily disable sounds. (Press that key sequence again to re-enable
sounds.)

This could have to do with how SDL and SDL_mixer were initialized.
(The buffer size chosen.)

Please e-mail us with details about your computer system.
(Operating system and version, sound card, which version of Tux Paint
you're running (run "tuxpaint --version" to verify), and
so on.)

Fullscreen Mode Problems

When I run Tux Paint full-screen and ALT-TAB out, the window turns
black!

This is apparently a bug in the SDL library. Sorry.

When I run Tux Paint full-screen, it has large borders around
it

Linux users - Your X-Window server is probably not set with the
ability to switch to the desired resolution: 800×600.
(or whatever resolution you have Tux Paint set to run at.)
(This is typically done manually under the X-Window server by
pressing [Ctrl]-[Alt]-[KeyPad Plus] and -[KeyPad Minus].)

For this to work, your monitor must support that resolution, and
you need to have it listed in your X server configuration.

Check the "Display" subsection of the "Screen" section of your
XFree86 or X.org configuration file (typically "/etc/X11/XF86Config-4" or
"/etc/X11/XF86Config", depending on the version of XFree86 you're
using; 3.x or 4.x, respectively, or "/etc/X11/xorg.conf" for X.org).

Add "800x600" (or whatever resolution(s) you want) to the appropriate
"Modes" line. (e.g., in the "Display" subsection that contains 24-bit color
depth ("Depth 24"), which is what Tux Paint tries to use.)
e.g.:

Modes "1280x1024" "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"

Note that some Linux distributions have tools that can make these
changes for you. Debian users can run the command
"dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xfree86" as root, for example.

Tux Paint keeps running in Full Screen mode - I want it
windowed!

The "fullscreen" option is set.

If you're running Tux Paint from a command-line, make sure you're
not giving it a "--fullscreen" option.

If you're running Tux Paint by double-clicking an icon, check the
properties of the icon to see if "--fullscreen" is listed
as an argument.

If "--fullscreen" isn't on the command-line, check Tux Paint's
configuration file ("~/.tuxpaintrc" under Linux and Unix,
"tuxpaint.cfg" under Windows) for a line reading:
"fullscreen=yes".

Either remove that line, or simply run Tux Paint with the
command-line argument: "--windowed", which will override
the configuration file's setting.

Or use Tux Paint Config. and make sure
"Fullscreen" (under "Video & Sound") is not checked.

Other Probelms

Tux Paint won't run

If Tux Paint aborts with the message:
"You're already running a copy of Tux Paint!",
this means it has been launched in the last 30 seconds.
(On Unix/Linux, this message would appear in a terminal console if you
ran Tux Paint from a command-line. On Windows, this message would
appear in a file named "stdout.txt" in the same folder where
TuxPaint.exe resides (e.g., in
C:\Program Files\TuxPaint).

A lockfile ("~/.tuxpaint/lockfile.dat" on Linux and Unix,
"userdata\lockfile.dat" on Windows) is used to make sure Tux Paint
isn't run too many times at once (e.g., due to a child impatiently
clicking its icon more than once).

Even if the lockfile exists, it contains the 'time' Tux Paint was
last run. If it's been more than 30 seconds, Tux Paint should run fine,
and simply update the lockfile with the current time.

If multiple users are sharing the directory where this file is stored
(e.g., on a shared network drive), then you'll need to disable this
feature.

To disable the lockfile, add the "--nolockfile" argument to
Tux Paint's command-line.

I can't quit Tux Paint

The "noquit" option is set. This disables the "Quit" button in
Tux Paint's toolbar (greying it out), and prevents Tux Paint from
being quit using the [Escape] key.

If Tux Paint is not in fullscreen mode, simply click the
window close button on Tux Paint's title bar.
(i.e., the "(x)" at the upper right.)

If Tux Paint is in fullscreen mode, you will need to use the
[Shift] + [Control] + [Escape] sequence on the keyboard to
quit Tux Paint.

(Note: with or without "noquit" set, you can always use the
[Alt] + [F4] combination on your keyboard to quit Tux Paint.)

I don't want "noquit" mode enabled!

If you're running Tux Paint from a command-line, make sure you're
not giving it a "--noquit" option.

If you're running Tux Paint by double-clicking an icon, check the
properties of the icon to see if "--noquit" is listed as an
argument.

If "--noquit" isn't on the command-line, check
Tux Paint's
configuration file ("~/.tuxpaintrc" under Linux and Unix,
"tuxpaint.cfg" under Windows) for a line reading:
"noquit=yes".

Either remove that line, or simply run Tux Paint with the
command-line argument: "--quit", which will override the
configuration file's setting.

Or use Tux Paint Config. and make sure
"Disable Quit Button and [Escape] Key" (under "Simplification")
is not checked.

Tux Paint keeps writing weird messages to the screen / to a text
file

A few messages are normal, but if Tux Paint is being extremely
verbose (like listing the name of every rubber-stamp image it finds while
loading them), then it was probably compiled with debugging output turned
on.

Rebuild Tux Paint from source. Be sure to remove or comment out any
line that says:

#define DEBUG

in the "tuxpaint.c" file in the "src" directory.

Tux Paint is using options I didn't specify!

By default, Tux Paint first looks at configuration files for
options.

Unix and Linux

Under Unix and Linux, it first examines the system-wide
configuration file, located here:

/etc/tuxpaint/tuxpaint.conf

It then examines the user's personal configuration file:

~/.tuxpaintrc

Finally, any options sent as command-line arguments are used.

Windows

Under Windows, Tux Paint first examines the configuration file:

tuxpaint.cfg

Then, any options sent as command-line arguments are used.

This means that if anything is set in a configuration file that
you don't want set, you'll need to either change the config. file
(if you can), or override the option on the command-line.

For example, if "/etc/tuxpaint/tuxpaint.conf" includes an option
to disable sound:

nosound=yes

You can reenable sound by either adding this option to your own
".tuxpainrc" file:

sound=yes

Or by using this command-line argument:

--sound

Linux and Unix users can also disable the system-wide configuration
file by including the following command-line argument:

--nosysconfig

Tux Paint will then only look at "~/.tuxpaintrc" and command-line
arguments to determine what options should be set.